Editorial: Russia doesn't merit leeway over doping

Vladimir Putin. Photo / Getty Images

International athletics leaders are giving Russia time to respond to the World Anti-Doping Agency's recommendation the country be banished from international competition, including next year's Olympic Games. None of the decision-makers should hold their breath for a sign of decency from Russia. Under Vladimir Putin, decency is not its style in any sphere of international life.

Where else in the world would commissioners from the agency find nearly 1500 samples had been destroyed three days before their inspection of a testing laboratory? The commission's report this week refers to tests being routinely falsified for the country's top athletes; concealed doping and cover-ups by its sports officials; extortion of money from athletes; and even interference by Russia's intelligence service in the work of the testing laboratory for last year's Winter Olympics at Sochi.

No wonder the commission calls for Russia to be declared "non-compliant" with anti-doping standards, meaning it would be banned from further international competition until it cleans up its act. Any other national athletic body facing a report like this would take it seriously and vow to attend to the problems. Not Russia.

A spokesman for President Putin said the report's allegations were not supported by evidence. The head of Russia's anti-doping agency called the report "politicised" and the head of the Russian track federation thought it contained "an element of material made to order". Mr Putin has convinced Russia the West is against it, mainly by giving the West good reasons - such as the destabilisation of Ukraine and the downing of an airliner.

He is presiding over a state of all-pervading corruption in business and politics such that there seems hardly to be a boundary between them. Those in business or news media who have fallen foul of the regime are either dead or living dangerously. Everything about Putin's Russia sounds like the kind of mafia state that capitalism was always depicted to be in the cinema and television of the former Soviet Union. Russians have not known anything better.

The corruption infecting their athletic drug-testing obligations are therefore no surprise. Russian athletes in the Soviet era were the product of state patronage and frequently appeared to be unnaturally developed. When the World Anti-Doping Agency reports "a deeply-rooted culture of cheating" in modern Russia, experienced athletes such as New Zealand middle-distance runner Nick Willis are not surprised.

Willis wants Russians banned from next year's Olympics right now. He strongly opposes the world body's decision to give Russia a chance to respond to the report. He does not trust Russia to mend its ways, and he is right. Athletics New Zealand, which is waiting to see if the anti-doping report can be "proven", is falling into line with the International Association of Athletic Federations.

Corruption and cover-ups are always hard to prove, but destruction of evidence on the eve of an independent inspection speaks for itself. Russia may make a sacrifice of the offending laboratory and its director, but the commission is convinced drug cheating and corruption go much higher. Russia has no place in sporting company.